Beside You
by Fearthe1975
Summary: Kagami is in an accident that could take everything from him but there's no way he'd get away with giving up so easily. Not if a certain Bluenette has anything to do with it. Disclaimer: I own no characters or anything related to Kuroko no Basuke.
1. Chapter 1

The call came in the middle of practice  
It wasn't unusual for Kiyoshi to call and give updates on how he was doing, but this wasn't a normal 'just checking in' phone call.

Since he had heard that his Kohai was coming back to America, he had taken it upon himself to watch out for him and give updates when he could.  
This was one of those times, but it was what no one wanted to hear.

"He was heading to a meeting with some scouters and a car swerved into their lane..."

Hyuuga took all of the information in as gracefully as he could before hanging up and turning to the team that looked eager to know what was going on. How was he supposed to explain this to them?  
His eyes landed on a certain individual at that point, and he thought that maybe he could lie and try to handle things behind the scenes; but the longer he was met with that gaze, the less he had the strength to hold anything in.

"Ah, shit."  
Rubbing the back of his neck, his gaze veered off to the side. There was no way could he make eye contact right now.  
"Kagami...he's been in an accident."  
It was like time stopped in that moment. To be told the information and hear it was one thing, but to speak it created a completely different feeling. A tightening in his chest. Pain.

"What!?"  
"What happened?"  
"Is he alright?"

It was to no surprise that he'd be bombarded with questions but he really wasn't ready to answer any of them. Kiyoshi told him the situation, and he was hating him for it. For leaving him in such a painful position. Not only did he have to deal with his own pain, but now he would have to take on the team's pain, as well.  
It was probably at that moment that he realized one person hadn't spoken. Not a word. Just stared at him. That look was everything he needed to see, though. There didn't need to be any words for him to know what the other was thinking. What he was begging to know.

Inhaling through ground teeth, he met those eager eyes with his own firm gaze. He was still their captain, and he owed them an explanation. He could do that much.

"They were heading to meet scouters and a car in the other lane swerved over. Alex made it out without anything serious but Kagami.." _Don't stop. They need to know._ "There was extensive damage to his legs. As of right now, he can't walk. They can't tell yet if the damage will be permanent."  
Silence.  
What could anyone say to that? What could they do? Of course this would be a moment of utter shock. In that moment, though, it was like everyone was feeling the same thing. All of their eyes fell on the one in the middle.  
The first to move. Hyuuga couldn't read his gaze anymore. He couldn't tell what emotions were there, if there were any at all.

"Kuroko.."  
Not a word. Instead, he watched the smaller teen move over to the benches and begin to gather his things. He watched him lean down to pet the top of Number #2's head before he was caught in that gaze again.  
"Senpai, could you watch Number #2 for me for a while?"  
"Wha? Why?"

"I'm going to America."


	2. Chapter 2

The entire flight there, he was preparing himself.  
He only told the ones back home of his plans, and no one in America knew of his trip over.  
All he could think of was how to encourage Kagami, anything that he could do that might help him fight to get stronger. This wasn't the same as a basketball game, though.  
This was something far more serious, and he was hitting a wall that he wasn't sure if he could get over. Would he crumble when he saw the other? Would he have the right words to say? Was he even the person the other needed right now?  
When the wheels finally touched down on the runway, he forced himself to shake away the doubt and move forward toward his destination.

The hospital smelled strongly of antiseptic and sterlization, his brows wrinkling as he moved to the main desk to ask for directions to Kagami's room. As expected, it took a few moments for the small woman to notice his presence at the counter.  
"Ah! Oh, goodness! You surprised me!"  
A tad embarrssed, the woman looked over the teen and gave a sheepish smile.  
"Is there something I can help you with?"  
"Could I have the room for Kagami Taiga, please?"  
"Kagami Taiga...let me just see here...oh! There he is!"  
It was at this particular moment that he was glad he had studied up on English after his former teammate left for the states.

Quickly scribbling something down, she handed him a little piece of paper with the room number '4025' on it and the title 'VISTOR' in big black print written in the center.  
"If you turn this corner and head straight down, you'll reach the elevators. Take them to the fourth floor and a quick right should get you to his room!"  
Thanking her, he made his way to the elevators. Once inside and on his way up, the doubt began to drown him again.  
What could he say? What could he do? Was this all pointless?  
 _ **NO!**_  
The elevator doors finally opened as he reached the fourth floor and he stepped out and into the hallway. _To the right._ Making a right, he came face to face with that room number in only a seconds time. There was no time for doubt. He didn't travel this far to abandon the other. He knew why he was there, and he was going to make it known.  
Swallowing down the vomit of feelings that was trying to push it's way out of him, he took hold of the door handle and took his first steps into the other's new, broken world.

He head was turned away from the door, his gaze stuck on the windows that oversaw a large lake which rested behind the hospital. His lower half was covered by a blanket but there wasn't much doubt as to what it looked like underneath; a sea of bandages.  
The sound of the door had pulled him from his thoughts, however, and red suddenly clashed with blue.  
"Kuroko..."  
While he was surprised, he couldn't force out the emotions to show it. His voice was flat, his eyes lacking the shine they always had before this. He looked over the bluenette and forced out a hollow chuckle, dropping his gaze to his hands, which rested in his lap.  
"Pretty pathetic, huh? They said it would be a pretty big miracle if I could ever play basketball again. That is, if I can ever even walk again."

Kuroko moved forward then, coming to stand with his legs nearly pressed against the side of Kagami's bed.  
"Kagami-kun."  
He lifted his gaze at the sound of the other's voice, and was thrown off at the sudden pressure of his small fist pushing against the side of his chest.  
"You will walk again, Kagami-kun. You will walk again and we will play our basketball again. Because I believe in Kagami-kun the most."  
Words he shared before they seperated. Words that rang truer now, more than ever.  
He always believed in Kagami, and he always would. Kagami was his light, and he was his shadow. He couldn't be that shadow if his light went out, and he would do everything he could to prevent that.

Kuroko's words seemed to spark emotion deep within the other and for the first time since the accident, tears welled up in his eyes. He was overcome by everything he had shut out until this moment, and he couldn't hold anything back. His chest ached, his head throbbed, and the tears seemed endless as they fell onto his trembling hands.  
Kuroko stayed quiet in that moment but moved his body forward, his thin arms coming to wrap around Kagami's broad shoulders. His cheek rest against the back of Kagami's head and he inhaled, taking in all of the males scent. Taking in everything that he was in those moments.  
Kagami simply buried his head in the crook of Kuroko's arm, using it as support to rest his weight against.

There was no more doubt.  
Kagami was his partner. He was his light. He was everything he had wanted for so long but couldn't admit until that moment. That moment so vulnerable, one wrong move could shatter everything.

Kagami was the person he loved the most, and he would stay beside him through everything.


End file.
